Halo 5 Guardians beta kicks off in December 2014

Halo 5 Guardians might not be coming to Xbox One until 2015, but you’ll have a chance to play some of it before this year is over in the planned beta. Due to kick off in December 2014, access to the Guardians beta is included with all purchases of Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

In addition to bringing the four numbered Halo games to Xbox One for the first time, The Master Chief Collection also packs in the Halo: Nightfall live-action series, produced by Ridley Scott. It’s an episodic story, meant to serve as a bridge between the events of Halo 4 and Halo 5, with individual episodes to be released after The Master Chief Collection collection launches. The beta will kick off shortly after Nightfall‘s final episode, and run for a limited amount of time after that.

Neither Microsoft nor 343 Industries has revealed anything about Halo 5 Guardians, but we’re told that the beta will represent a broad swath of what to expect from the finished product, in terms of the gameplay. Expect more details to emerge on the Guardians beta as December draws nearer.